Pilfer-Resistant Arrangements for Watch and Jewelry Boxes

ABSTRACT

Watch and jewelry boxes including pilfer-resistant arrangements for securing watches and jewelry items are disclosed. Various embodiments include a fastening member received within the watch or jewelry box and an anchor/retaining member arranged to engage the fastening member. The fastening member and anchor/retaining member cooperate to secure the loop of a ring or a loop portion of a jewelry item within the box in a manner that is resistant to pilfering.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/289,520, filed Nov. 30, 2005, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/656,400, filed Feb. 28, 2005.

BACKGROUND

Shoplifting is, in general, a big problem in the retail watch and jewelry industry. For example, a shoplifter will ask to be shown several watches or pieces of jewelry at the same time, and will remove one or more watches and/or pieces of jewelry from their box. The merchant, without realizing that any items are missing from the boxes, will then return the boxes to their display or storage position. The merchant will only realize items are missing from the boxes when he or she shows the boxes to another customer, which might be a few days later.

As known in the industry, in order to reduce the above-described shoplifting problem, merchants often tie down watches and pieces of jewelry into their boxes using plastic ties. This deters a would-be-thief from removing items from the box. However, it is very easy for thieves to cut and remove the ties, thereby leaving the watches and/or jewelry unsecured in the box and easy to remove. Additionally, if a merchant wants to show a watch or piece of jewelry to a customer, the merchant must cut the tie and remove it from the box. Thus, the merchant has no way to re-secure the watch or jewelry item unless he or she has spare ties of the required size, which are usually not readily available.

SUMMARY

The disclosure is directed to watch and jewelry boxes including pilfer-resistant arrangements for securing jewelry items, such as watches, rings and bracelets. In certain embodiments, a jewelry box comprises:

a bottom member including a central cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item;

a fastening member arranged to extend through an opening in a first side of the bottom member, through a closed loop of the jewelry item and into a second side of the bottom member opposite the first side of the bottom member; and

an retaining member disposed in the second side of the bottom member and arranged to engage the fastening member so as to secure the fastening member in the jewelry box.

According to another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:

a bottom member including a central cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item;

a fastening member comprising a head portion and a pair of prongs extending from said head portion and terminating in hooked ends, wherein said prongs are arranged to extend downward into said central cavity or channel so as to entrap a loop portion of the jewelry item; and

an retaining member disposed in the bottom member, said retaining member comprising a pair of longitudinally extending ledges bounding said central cavity or channel and arranged to engage said hooked ends.

According to another embodiment, an arrangement for securing a watch or other piece of jewelry in a box includes:

a bottom member formed from a U-shaped inner wall and a U-shaped outer wall that is spaced from and connected to said U-shaped inner wall so as to define a hollow, U-shaped cross-section comprising first and second interior side channels and an interior bottom channel extending between said first and second interior side channels, said bottom member including a central exterior cavity or channel arranged to accommodate a jewelry item; and

a fastening member disposed within said first interior side channel and said interior bottom channel, wherein said fastening member is laterally movable between an open position and a closed position entrapping a loop portion of the jewelry item.

According to another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:

an upper lid member;

a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity accommodating a jewelry item;

a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and

a screw, wherein:

-   -   when in a locked position, said screw extends through said         opening within the retaining member and through said central         cavity towards a second side of said bottom member so as to pass         through a band of said jewelry item, thereby securing said         jewelry item in said jewelry box;     -   said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within         the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to         be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through         said opening within the retaining member; and     -   once said screw is in said locked position, said internal         engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said         screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning         said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.

According to yet another embodiment, a jewelry box comprises:

an upper lid member;

a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity;

a support having a jewelry item placed therearound, wherein said support is positioned in said central cavity;

a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and

a screw, wherein:

-   -   when in a locked position, said screw extends through said         opening within the retaining member and through said central         cavity and a hole in said support towards a second side of said         bottom member, thereby securing said jewelry item in said         jewelry box;     -   said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within         the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to         be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through         said opening within the retaining member; and     -   once said screw is in said locked position, said internal         engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said         screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning         said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.

Additional features and advantages will become apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a partially exploded perspective view of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a partially exploded perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.

FIG. 2B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a partially exploded perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a partial cross-sectional view showing the pilfer-proof arrangement of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a ring box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4B is a side view of the ring box of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is perspective view of a bottom member of a jewelry box including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the jewelry box of FIG. 5A, wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in an open position.

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of the jewelry box of FIG. 5A, wherein the pilfer-proof arrangement is in a closed position.

FIG. 6A shows an exploded perspective view of a jewelry box according to another embodiment, wherein a watch and watch holder are removed from the box to illustrate how a screw extends inside the box to secure the watch therein.

FIG. 6B shows a perspective view of the screw and retaining member of the embodiment of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is partial exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 6A with the tray insert removed from the bottom tray so as to illustrate the location of the retaining member in the bottom tray.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the retaining member and screw shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, a jewelry box 100 including a novel pilfer-proof arrangement is shown. The box 100 includes a bottom member 104 and a top member 102 attached to the bottom member 104. The bottom member 104 includes a central cavity or channel 105 for accommodating a jewelry item 130. The pilfer-proof arrangement includes a screw 110 which is inserted into a hole 122 in a side 120 of the bottom member 104 of the box and extends through the cavity or channel 105 of the box 100, through a closed loop of the jewelry item 130 and into an opposite side 150 of the bottom member 104. Although the jewelry item 130 is shown to be a watch, other jewelry items such as bracelets may instead be placed in the box. An retaining member 140 located in the opposite side 150 of the bottom member 104 of the box engages the screw 110 so as to secure the screw 110 in the box. The retaining member 140 includes a flap 142 defining a hole 144 sized to engage threads 112 of the screw 110. Thus, the screw 110 secures the jewelry item 130 in the box 100 and prevents the jewelry item from being removed from the box.

The screw 110 may be inserted into the retaining member 140 by simply pushing the screw 110 through the hole 144. However, the screw 110 can only be removed from the box 100 by turning the screw, because the flap 142 obstructs the threads 112 and prevents the screw 110 from moving backwards without being turned. Furthermore, the hole 122 may be recessed into the side 120 such that it is impossible to turn the screw 110 with a person's fingers. Thus, the box 100 can be designed such that the screw 110 can only be removed with a screwdriver, thereby making it difficult for a thief to steal the jewelry item 130. A merchant who wishes to show the jewelry item 130 to a customer must remove the screw 110 with a screwdriver in order to remove the jewelry item 130 from the box 100. After showing the jewelry item to the customer, the merchant can return the jewelry item 130 to the box 100 and secure the jewelry item by simply pushing the screw 110 into the box 100.

Although the screw 110 is shown with several threads, the screw can be molded with as many or as few threads as desired. For example, a screw 110 a which includes two threads 112 may be used so that the screw 110 a can be removed quickly by a merchant with fewer turns. However, using a greater number of threads makes theft more difficult.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a ring box 400 having a top member 402 and a bottom member 404 having a central cavity or channel 405 for accommodating a ring 430. The box 400 includes a pilfer-proof arrangement similar to that of FIGS. 1A and 1B, except that the screw 110 is inserted into a hole 422 in a back side 460 of the bottom 404 of the box and extends through the box 400, through the cavity/channel 205 and through the loop of the ring 430, and the retaining member 140 which engages the screw 110 is located on a front side 470 of the bottom 404 of the box. Naturally, the orientations of the hole 422 and the retaining member 140 may be reversed such that the hole 422 is located on the front side 470 and the retaining member 140 is located on the back side 460.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a bottom member 204 of a box 200 (top member not shown) including a pilfer-proof arrangement according to another embodiment. The bottom member 204 includes a central cavity or channel 205 for accommodating a jewelry item 130. The pilfer-proof arrangement 200 includes a fastening member 210 which is inserted into an opening 222 in a side 220 of the bottom member 204 of the box and extends through the central cavity or channel 205 of the box 200 and inside a closed loop of the jewelry item 130. The fastening member 210 is a clip having a head portion 212 and a pair of prongs 214 extending from the head portion 212. The clip 212 is secured in the box 200 by an retaining member 240 located in an opposite side 250 of the bottom member 204 of the box. The retaining member 250 includes a passage 242 having ledges 244 arranged to engage hooked ends 216 of the prongs 214. To secure the jewelry item 130 in the box 200, the clip is inserted through the opening 220 until the head portion 212 is flush with the outer surface of the side 220 and the hooked ends 216 pass the ledges 244. In order for the hooked ends 216 to engage the ledges 244, the inner diameter of the passage 242 must be somewhat smaller than the distance between the outer edges of the hooked ends 216.

In order to remove the clip 210 so that the jewelry item 130 can be removed from the box 200, one must insert a pin 280, or a similar item, through a pin hole 290 in the side 250 and push the pin 290 against the head portion 212 of the clip 210 until the clip 210 is backed out of the opening 222.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a bottom member 304 of a box 300 (top member not shown) including another embodiment of a pilfer-proof arrangement. In this embodiment, the box 300 includes an retaining member comprising a pair of longitudinal ledges 392 located inside the bottom member 304 of the box and bounding a central, jewelry-accommodating channel or cavity 305 of the bottom member 304 of the box. The clip 210 is arranged such that the prongs 214 extend vertically downward from the head portion 212 into a lower space 394 of the channel or cavity 305. The hooked ends 216 of the prongs 214 engage the ledges 392, and the prongs 214 entrap a portion (e.g., watch strap) of the jewelry item 130. In order for the hooked ends 216 to engage the ledges 392, distance between the ledges 392 must be somewhat smaller than the distance between the outer edges of the hooked ends 216. In order to remove the clip 210 so that the jewelry item 130 can be removed from the box 300, one must insert a pin (not shown), or a similar item, through a pin hole (not shown) in the bottom side of the box and push the pin upward against the head portion 212 of the clip 210 until the clip 210 is backed out of the bottom portion 394.

FIGS. 5A-5C shows a bottom member 504 of a box 500 (top member not shown) according to yet another embodiment. The bottom member 504 of the box 500 includes a central exterior recessed channel 505 for accommodating a watch or jewelry item. The bottom member 504 is formed from a U-shaped inner wall 509 and a U-shaped outer wall 511 that are connected to each other and spaced apart so as to define therebetween a hollow, U-shaped interior cross-section including two interior side channels 504 and 506 and an interior bottom channel 508 extending between the channels 504 and 506. A removable false base 502 closes the bottom of the channel 508. A fastening member 510 is disposed within the channels 506 and 508 of the box. The fastening member 510 includes a vertically-extending segment 512, a jewelry-trapping arm 514 extending laterally from a first end of the vertically-extending segment 512 towards the center of the box, and a sliding arm 516 extending laterally from a second end of the vertically-extending segment 512. The sliding arm 516 is laterally slidable within the side channel 506 and the bottom channel 508. The fastening member 510 is movable between an open position and a closed position entrapping the jewelry item 130 by removing the false base 502 (which hides the sliding arm 516 from sight) and sliding the sliding arm 516 laterally towards the center of the box such that the jewelry-trapping arm passes through an opening 507 the inner wall 509 at the side channel 506 and through a closed loop (e.g., watch band) of the jewelry item 130 in the channel 505. The fastening member 510 may be moved back to the open position by sliding the sliding arm laterally away from the center of the box.

Each of the above embodiments provides arrangements which reduce the likelihood that jewelry will be stolen from display boxes while a merchant is showing the jewelry to a potential thief. Although the disclosure references specific embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, additional embodiments and variations within the scope of the invention are possible.

FIG. 6A-6D show a jewelry box 600 including a novel locking mechanism, according to another embodiment. The box 600 includes a lower tray 604 and an upper lid 602 pivotally attached to the lower tray 604. A tray insert 604 a is received in the lower tray 604 and includes a central recess 605 for receiving a watch 130. The watch may be placed around a watch support 606 having a hole 607 therethrough. A pilfer-proof arrangement includes a screw 110, a hole 622 in a first side 620 of the bottom tray 604, an retaining member 640 received in the hole 622, hole 607 and holes 624 and 626 in the interior side walls of the tray insert defining the central cavity 605. The retaining member 640 includes an interior bore 642 and internal engagement arms 644 disposed in the interior bore 642. The engagement arms 644 extend within the interior 642 and define an opening 648 between themselves. The engagement arms 644 are angled and the opening 648 is sized to engage the screw threads 112 so as to allow the screw 110 to be pushed through opening 648, while requiring the screw 110 to be turned in order to be removed from the retaining member 640. More specifically, due to their orientation, the engagement arms 644 are somewhat flexible in the direction of insertion of the screw 110 and substantially inflexible in the direction of removal of the screw 110, thus allowing the screw to be pushed through the opening 648 but not pulled out of the opening 648.

To secure the watch 130 in the jewelry box, the watch 130 is placed around the support 606 and the support 606 is placed in the central recess 605 such that the hole 607 is aligned with holes 622, 624 and 626. The screw 110 is then inserted into the hole 622 and thereafter pushed through opening 648 and holes 624, 607 and 626. The arms 644 of the retaining member 640 engage the threads 112 of the screw 110 so as to prevent the screw 110 from being pulled out of the box 600. Thus, the screw is in a locked position securing the watch 130 in the box 600. It is noted that the screw 110 is easily pushed into the locked position using a person's thumb.

In order to allow the watch 130 to be removed from the box, 600, one can turn the screw using a screwdriver to thereby remove the screw 110 from the retaining member 640 and holes 622, 624, 607. The number of turns required to remove the screw 110 can be varied depending on how secure one wishes to make the locking of the screw, simply by changing the number of threads 112 on the screw 110. For example the number of threads 112 can be selected to require between 3 and 10 screwdriver turns to remove the screw 110 from the box 600. The engagement arms 644 are angled and the opening 648 is sized such that the screw 110 cannot be removed from the box 600 by pulling action, either by hand or tool. The screw 110 must be turned in order to be removed. Furthermore, the opening 622 may be recessed in the side wall 620 to allow the head 114 of the screw to be recessed into the side wall 620, so as to prevent the screw 110 from being turned by a person's fingers.

Although the embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6D are shown and described with respect to a watch being secured in the jewelry box 600, other jewelry items such as rings or bracelets may be secured in the box 600. Additionally, the watch support 606 may be eliminated and the screw 110 may simply pass through the band of the watch/jewelry item in the recess 605. It is also noted that, although the retaining member 640 is shown provided in the side of the tray 604 which is the side of initial entry for the screw 110, the retaining member may alternately be provided in the opposite side 650 of the tray 604.

Each of the above embodiments provides arrangements which reduce the likelihood that jewelry will be stolen from display boxes while a merchant is showing the jewelry to a potential thief. Although the disclosure references specific embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawing figures, additional embodiments and variations within the scope of the invention are possible. 

1. A jewelry box comprising: an upper lid member; a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity accommodating a jewelry item; a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and a screw, wherein: when in a locked position, said screw extends through said opening within the retaining member and through said central cavity towards a second side of said bottom member so as to pass through a band of said jewelry item, thereby securing said jewelry item in said jewelry box; said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through said opening within the retaining member; and once said screw is in said locked position, said internal engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.
 2. The jewelry box of claim 1, wherein the jewelry item is a watch, a bracelet or a ring.
 3. The jewelry box of claim 1, wherein said hole in said first side of said bottom member is recessed such that when said screw is in said locked position, a head of the screw is recessed so as to prevent the screw from being turned by a person's hand.
 4. A jewelry box comprising: an upper lid member; a bottom member connected to the upper lid member, said bottom member including a central cavity; a support having a jewelry item placed therearound, wherein said support is positioned in said central cavity; a retaining member disposed in a hole in a first side of the bottom member, said retaining member including internal engagement arms defining an opening within the retaining member; and a screw, wherein: when in a locked position, said screw extends through said opening within the retaining member and through said central cavity and a hole in said support towards a second side of said bottom member, thereby securing said jewelry item in said jewelry box; said internal extension arms are angled and said opening within the retaining member is sized such that said screw is allowed to be placed in said locked position by pushing said screw through said opening within the retaining member; and once said screw is in said locked position, said internal engagement arms engage threads of said screw such that said screw can be withdrawn from said locked position only by turning said screw to retract said screw out of said bottom member.
 5. The jewelry box of claim 4, wherein the jewelry item is a watch, a bracelet or a ring.
 6. The jewelry box of claim 4, wherein said hole in said first side of said bottom member is recessed such that when said screw is in said locked position, a head of the screw is recessed so as to prevent the screw from being turned by a person's hand. 